96 855 Turbo EDIT sump loose but trapped by lines

[JimBee]

Last night was a restless leg night. It finally came to me, as I wrote below, that Volvo wouldn't design a component that required bending and stretching (or taking apart half the car to repair) the obvious solution had to be get the subframe rail out of the way and indeed they designed the subframe so it's not too hard to do that, once we get set up to do it.

I came across wheelsup's wonderful tutorial on removing an 850 transmission, which includes in step 6 (I think) details with pictures on dropping the subframe. Granted, I need to work on the other side, but the concepts mostly transfer for as far as I need to drop it.

Quite certain, but not positive I'd found the solution, I headed to my local Volvo dealer and confessed my uncertainty and need to know. He delivered. The official word is "that's the only way to drop the sump." They bill 3.5 shop hours to drop, seal it up and reassemble.

I will take some pictures.

I realize this is a problem DIY'ers have run into on this "just do this" task. ecbsykes tutorial on the 2000 xc is helpful, but there are a couple of differences on my 850, one being the two power steering lines running under the back end of the sump, versus the one line on the 2000 that may have been easier to manipulate. Those lines are really stiff and I don't want to bend them severely like I'd probably have to for clear vertical clearance by the rear end of the sump. Plus, if I did bend them, the transmission drain plug would be blocked. I've searched MVS and googled but can't find a detailed tutorial for the 850.

I shimmed the front motor mount with an inch thick piece of wood, but the firewall-side corner of the front end of the sump hangs on the rubber part of the mount. Also, the front end of the sump seems to overhang the subframe rail by almost an inch, so I don't think it will drop out that way.

So, I guess that means dropping the passenger side subframe to get clearance to drop the sump.

Suggestions please on how to do that safely? And is this my only option if I don't want to bend the p.s. lines?

Thanks!

[tryingbe]

I'd disconnect the metal tubes to the steering rack.

[Ozark Lee]

You don't need to remove the power steering lines from the rack but it makes life much easier if you unbolt the support brackets on both the rack side and on the radiator side. That gives the lines enough flex that you can maneuver by them.

...Lee

[JimBee]

Lee, I tried that. The "spreader" bracket that also secures the lines to the front cross member prevents the forward-more of the two lines from moving toward the back of the engine and the nut (I guess, can't really see if its a nut or a welded on threaded lug) just turns so I can't remove that bracket. With the lines tied back as far as possible, they still run under the sump about 2" from clear, so without serious bending it looks impossible to just move them over. Plus, if I was able to bend them that far, they'd block the trans drain plug.

It looks (actually feels, can't really see) like one constraint on the lateral movement of the p.s. lines is the front engine mount, though it's tough to see. The lines hit up against something when I try to move them towards the drivers side and I think it's the mount.

In an ideal world, the sump could drop straight down past those lines and that would likely get me past the pickup donut that sets into the pan baffle and enable the pan to move back toward the transmission at an angle to clear the subframe rail on the passenger side. I can't see that happening.

BTW does the pickup donut actually go through the pan baffle or just recess into it as far as the flange on the donut? It doesn't feel like it's hanging up there, just mainly on the pass. side "front" mount and overhanging the rail.

If I drop the subframe on the passenger side, how far can it drop w/o overly stressing other attachments? Would I need to remove or unbolt the front engine mount (drivers side) to do that?

Thanks!